GALLERY: No surprise: Teammates back A-Rod

How significant a breach of baseball etiquette was Alex Rodriguez’s jaunt across Dallas Braden’s mound in Oakland?

Depends whom you ask.

From Erik Boland of Newsday: There was no universal perspective — other than in the Yankees’ clubhouse and Braden’s of course — to thinking of the mound as being a sliver of acreage belonging solely to the pitcher.

Across the country, Francisco Rodriguez of the Mets said he didn’t see what happened but in general his only concern would be a player crossing the mound while he was on it and saying something.

Veteran lefty Andy Pettitte said the incident was “blown out of proportion,” and said his concentration is elsewhere. The only way he would take issue would be, similar to K-Rod, if the base runner came across while he was on the mound.

Former Mets pitcher and current analyst Ron Darling said “absolutely hitters are not supposed to run over the mound, you stay off it,” and that the mound is “the pitcher’s place.”

But Darling seemed to indicate the fraternization of the game now made Braden’s outburst somewhat inconsistent.

“The game’s changed,” Darling said. “These guys are hugging and kissing each other before the game, they share the same agents, everyone’s so happy. It’s the country club fraternity of baseball now.”

TRIVIA TIME

What active pitcher has hit the most batters?

FORCED OUT OF OFFICE

Former catcher and FOX analyst Tim McCarver recalled Hall of Famer Bob Gibson, a legendary intimidator, and his viewpoint on hitters coming near the mound, which Gibson called his “office.”